NHL Trade Rumors 2016: Tampa Bay Lightning Says Steven Stamkos Staying with Team
One of the most-talked-about players in the NHL this season is Tampa Bay Lightning star forward Steven Stamkos, thanks to the fact that he and the team haven't reached an agreement on a contract extension. Without that deal, Stamkos will officially become an unrestricted free agent once the season is over.
One that happens, he'll definitely be a targeted player with his skillset and experience. The Lightning previously indicated that they want him to stay, but the Feb. 29 deadline still leaves a lot of time and room for the team to talk about sending him somewhere else.
However, every rumor of Stamkos leaving Tampa Bay was ultimately quelled on Monday when the team released a statement via general manager Steve Yzerman:
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"As February 29th approaches, I am stating today that Steven Stamkos will not be traded before the NHL's trade deadline. I have said repeatedly that it is our hope to reach an agreement with Steven on a new contract at some point, and with 27 games remaining in the season, our entire organization, Steven included, wants to focus on making the playoffs."
The statement also said that the ongoing negotiations will be strictly done between Stamkos' representatives and the team and that there will be no more comments on the status of such negotiation.
While the statement temporarily eases the tension, there still is no guarantee that 26-year-old will be staying put, unless news comes out of a new deal. For Tampa Bay, there are a lot of risks involved if they play hard ball and just let him opt for free agency. He's a kind of player that is very difficult to replace. And if they eventually decide to let him go, they get a good amount of salary cap space, but there's really no one out there that can fill in for him, at least for the moment. If the team wants to win now, they can't afford to lose him.
